Electrical bonding devices are used in many industries to provide, maintain, and enhance electrical connectivity between metallic components, for example, to properly ground a piece of equipment to its metal frame. Conventional electrical bonding devices commonly include structures which can be positioned between two metal surfaces and permit the flow of electricity from one metal surface to the other through the bonding device. These electrical bonding devices may include, for example, external tooth star washers or conical tooth bonding washers such as WEEB® brand washers, among others. A common trait of all of these electrical bonding devices is the use of serrated or pointed elements on the electrical bonding device to ensure that the electrical connection is successful. These elements, which may include sharpened points, edges, cone tips, cylindrical protrusions, or similar structures, ensure a successful electrical connection by piercing through non-conductive coatings which are commonly found on exterior surfaces of metals. The non-conductive coatings may include anodized surfaces, painted coatings, or similar surface treatments which are intended to prevent corrosion of the metal surface. The electrical bonding devices may be retained in abutment with the metal surfaces to such a degree that the serrated elements pierce through the non-conductive coating and contact the underlying metal.
After these types of conventional electrical bonding devices are installed, including when used as lock washers, a worker would then need to apply a protective sealant or coating to the connection to prevent future corrosion or other adverse effects to the connection. However, due to the intricacies of the structure of these conventional electrical bonding devices, e.g., the numerous gaps, spaces, and angles between the various serrated elements, properly sealing the conventional electrical bonding devices is difficult. If any portion of the conventional electrical bonding device was left uncovered, corrosive liquids and gasses, including those carried by the ambient air, would make contact and negatively affect the electrical bond. As a result, this high susceptibility to corrosion means that many conventional electrical bonding devices are prone to failure. Even when sealing was successful, the process was more complicated and costly to manufacture due to the fact that the sealing material needed to be applied as a secondary item during installation.
Additionally, another shortcoming of conventional electrical bonding devices is that they are often manufactured from stainless steel but used with other types of metals. This dissimilarity in metals exacerbates galvanic corrosion problems between the metal structures due to the fact that the devices are in electrical contact with a metal having a different galvanic potential and fluid electrolytes are more prone to contact unprotected areas of the metals.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.